Last Thursday's CIBSE Building Performance Awards 2022 were a triumph for Max Fordham, with the practice winning the three top awards: Project of the Year, Consultancy of the Year, and Building Performance Champion.

Now in its 15th year, the CIBSE Building Performance Awards is the only awards scheme to celebrate the measured performance of projects in use, while also celebrating the consultancies that are contributing to a low carbon future.

To start the evening, Dame Jo da Silva gave a rousing speech calling on building services engineers to continue pushing the built environment industry further in relation to the delivery of zero carbon buildings. She made a touching tribute to Max and his pioneering approach to low-carbon design that she said "has influenced thousands of engineers and building designers" to focus on sustainability, performance, and building users.

The awards themselves started well, with St John's College & Study Centre at the University of Oxford scooping the prize of Public Project of the Year. This project - which was a collaboration with Wright & Wright architects and Price & Myers structural engineers - features an all-electric MEP design with a ground source heat pump served by closed-loop boreholes, a large photovoltaic array, natural ventilation, and low energy lighting.

We provided M&E Engineering, Acoustics and Lighting Design, and an aftercare/Soft Landings role to help fine tune and optimise the building's performance. The project started in 2012, long before the climate emergency or Net Zero Carbon design were widely recognised, which the judges said makes the all-electric scheme, and the client and design team's exploration of carbon neutrality, all the more commendable.

Next up for Max Fordham was the crown of Building Performance Consultancy of the Year (51-300 employees). Our submission highlighted our delivery of low energy and net zero carbon buildings, pioneering of Net Zero Carbon through our own offices, thought leadership and advocacy in the industry, work on diversity and inclusion, and collaborative approach to tackling the climate emergency.

The entry included mentions of projects including Agar Grove Estate, Cranmer Road, Keynsham Town Hall, Max Fordham House and St John's College.

Just when we thought it was all finished, the final - and most prestigious - award of the night was announced. "Building Performance Champion is... St John's College Library and Study Centre by Max Fordham".

This award is selected from the winners of all the other categories and is presented to the individual, team or organisation that has made the most outstanding contribution and commitment to achieving improved building performance combined with significant, measurable reduction of energy consumption and carbon emissions.

This made us the most awarded practice on the night and also the only practice to be crowned Building Performance Champion for a second time, our first time being in 2020 for The Engine Shed.

"Pressure is growing to improve the performance of our building stock to make it safer, healthier and more energy efficient. These awards showcase some of the best examples of projects and products that are helping drive forward improvements in building performance.” - Hywel Davies, Technical Director of organisers the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers